Felix of Nola
The Holy Felix of Nola ( Nola *, † 260 or before 311 ) was a priest and possibly bishop and martyr.
His career has been handed down primarily by Paulinus of Nola ( Carmina 15 and 16). Thus, he was the son of a provider established in Nola Syrian named Hermias, who had served in the Roman army. Felix converted to Christianity and distributed its assets and the inherited property among the poor. Maximus, bishop of Nola, ordained him a priest. During the persecution of Christians under Emperor Decius Maximus managed to escape, while Felix was arrested and tortured. In prison, appeared to him an angel, his chains fell off from him and he could rush to his sleeping guards to go to his bishop, who suffered from hunger and cold and had lost his language. With the juice of a grape Felix took the half-dead old man back to life. In another wave of persecution, Felix hid in a cave, in which access once a spider a huge dense weave wove, and the Reaver thus tempted to look elsewhere. After the persecution had lasted a whole year and Felix had to stop in a dry well, he could return to his community. When Maximus died, they wanted to make him bishop of Nola, but he refused. Felix died in the tradition of Paulinus after in old age to a January 14th. In other traditions ( as in the Martyrology Hieronymianum ) is also one of Felix of Nola 's speech, which should be, however, died as bishop martyred. Gregory of Tours calls him Martyr, Paulinus and Augustine of Hippo Confessor ( Confessor ).
End of the fourth century, Nola had become an important place of pilgrimage, Felix was considered a restorer of lost things and avenger of perjury, on his grave was hoped for miracle cures for eye diseases and exorcisms. Three basilicas were dedicated to him, which Paulinus a fourth added, which was still famous for their images in antiquity. Between 395 and 407 dense Paulinus annual Natalicum ( Birthday Poem ) over Felix.
The legend of St. Felix of Nola linked with the other eponymous saint. Sometimes he is equated with the Holy Felix in Pincis who was a teacher and his students brought up hard, but fair. The pagans among these he so bitter but so much so that they with their pencils on the Pincio, a hill at Rome, or at Porta Pinciana tortured him one day and stabbed. Also, an area in Nola is in Pincis ( as " in the spruce forests " or " on the pumpkin field " interpretation) have been called.
The holiday of Felix of Nola ( and Felix in Pincis ) is January 14, in art it is represented in a cave or cellar, before hanging a spider web, attributes are broken, foot block and grape. He is the patron saint of pets, against eye diseases and against perjury.